


Father-Daughter Time

by HowAboutThatSnapback



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen, Miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 21:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11298762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowAboutThatSnapback/pseuds/HowAboutThatSnapback
Summary: Stanley comforts his daughter-in-law.





	Father-Daughter Time

Stanley Cassandra Pines has never been one to go out of his way to find a crying person if he doesn’t recognize the voice- he’s learned his lesson from his time in the streets- so he’s not sure what compels him to do it this time.

It was quiet- _muffled_ really. It was coming from inside he Shack- in the small space between the shop and the home and customers usually don’t dwell there.

He opens the curtain and finds to his surprise his daughter-in-law. Her eyes are red and puffy and her cheeks have fresh tracks of tears. One arm is wrapped to hug herself while the other is busy pressing her hand to her lips.

“Melody? What’s wrong?” He asks gently- funny he doesn’t take that tone with most people, but Melody… he’s _never_  seen her cry before- unlike her husband who’s a cryer.

She gulps thickly and rubs at her eyes. “Hi, Stan. It’s nothing- just hormones.”

He makes a face at her boldfaced lie. “You gotta lie better than that t’ fool me.”

She laughs bitterly and turns her gaze away from him. “Figured. You are a professional conman.”

“Damn right I am,” he says and smiles a little when she giggles through her tears. His features soften and sadden. “What’s eatin’ atcha, hun?”

She’s quiet for a long time, glancing into the shop a moment. “I don’t…”

Stanley can see how on edge she is- she doesn’t want anyone to hear whatever is bothering her.

He hums with thought and his keys suddenly have a great weight in his hand. “Wanna come with me while I run errands?” A skeptical look on her end. “They’re all legal- I promise.”

After several seconds she nods. “Okay… that sounds nice.”

He smiles at her and then he pulls out a handkerchief and holds it out for her. “Here ya go. And here are my keys- you can go start the car. I’ll tell Ford where we’re going.”

“Thank you,” she says and immediately starts cleaning her face.

Once the keys are in her hands she makes her way outside as quickly as she can.

Stanley makes his way back to Stanford’s room and says. “Change of plans. I’m taking Mel on a drive. I’ll get your dealeewompus tomorrow.”

“Stan, I need it today,” Stanford argues.

“Let me repeat myself. I’m taking Mel on a drive.”

Stanford’s owlish blinking seems to be the sign that he’s finally registered his words. “Oh… this can definitely wait until tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Stan thumps his hand against the doorframe. “Welp, I’m off. See ya at dinner!”

“Alright. Good luck!” Stanford calls back.

Stanley makes his way out of the Shack and goes to his car. Melody is already in the passenger seat and looks like she’s about to cry again until she catches sight of him.

 _Poor gal,_  he thinks for a moment and then slips into the driver’s seat.

Immediately his demeanor changes and he has a large grin on his face. “Alright, time to head out!”

Melody smiles over at him. “Great!”

They drive around in circles for a while and Melody seems worried that Stanley’s memories have slipped again at first until he turns off toward the lake. At this time of day there usually isn’t anyone there- especially since it’s fall.

He parks and then turns to her. “Today’s father-in-law-daughter-in-law day.”

There have been plenty of days he’s pulled this stunt with her. At first it was just to make sure she was right for his son and then it became a thing because the two have come to really enjoy one another’s company.

She smiles at him. “Great. What’s on the agenda?”

“Well, we’re gonna skip rocks, take a swim, have a water fight… all that good stuff!”

“You do realize getting wet this time of year isn’t exactly a good idea? We could catch a cold.”

“Then I guess the ladies around town are gonna be catchin’ something with me around,” he jokes.

Melody tries to hold back her laughter, but fails to. “I hate you get me to laugh at stuff like that!”

“C’mon, you know you love my dirty jokes!” He teases.

“I know and I hate it,” she laughs.

He chuckles and opens his door. “C’mon, we can still skip rocks.”

“I’ve never skipped rocks before,” she admits.

“Then I’ll show you the perfect skipping stones and techniques,” he assures.

The two of them have a wonderful time with each other. As the sun dipped low on the horizon Stanley ends up giving Melody his jacket.

“Gonna tell me what’s eatin’ atcha?” He asks quietly with concerned chocolate eyes on her.

She bites her lip and looks at the ground with shame on her features.

“It can’t be that bad,” he insists. “I won’t laugh of judge or anything. I just want ya t’ feel better.”

Something seems to snap and she’s hugging him around his middle and burying her face in his chest.

“Papa…”

_Oh boy._

Papa wasn’t something she usually called him- she usually called him by his name and would slip up with Mr. Pines every so often- so hearing that name meant she was _very_  emotional and considering the tears soaking his shirt… it’s tearing her apart inside.

“It’s alright, hun. I’m right here,” he says while petting her hair and keeping the other arm firm around her shoulders.

“I-I didn’t tell Soos- I wanted to wait a while longer just to be sure… and I was sure. I was gonna tell him tonight,” she says.

He feels fear trickling down his spine. “Tell him what?”

“That I was pregnant…”

_Was._

“Oh, sweetheart,” he groans while hugging her close with both arms.

She sobs into his chest. “Th-this morning…. I-”

“You don’t have to say it,” he says quietly.

She makes a strangled mewling sound and he can feel the back of his shirt being balled up in her fists.

He holds her like this for a long time before he manages to find any words.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” he murmurs.

“I probably won’t ever be able to have kids… how am I gonna tell him?”

He pulls away enough to cup her face between his hands and wipe away her tears with his thumbs. “It’s okay… he’ll understand and you two can work through this.”

“But he’s so excited to have kids! H-he’ll-”

“Love you just as much after you tell him as he does now- maybe even more. Soos doesn’t love you because you’re able to give him a child…. he loves you for _you_  otherwise he wouldn’t’ve married you. I’ve never seen him more in love in all my years of knowing him.”

She gulps thickly and asks with a quivering voice, “Do you really think that?”

“I know it beyond the shadow of a doubt,” he says with a small smile. “And on the off chance he does, I’ll kick his ass until his mind’s right.”

That gets her to giggle a little. Stan has to admit he likes hearing her laugh (especially when he gets her to laugh so hard she snorts. Even this tiny sound was music to his ears after the heartbreak.

Melody hugs him once more and he hugs her back. “I couldn’t ask for a better father-in-law.”

He grins proudly. “I couldn’t ask for a bette daughter-in-law… c’mon, we’ve gotta get back before somebody back home gets an ulcer.”

“You’re right. It is getting pretty late,” she says while hugging his jacket to herself. “Oh, and Stan?”

“Huh?”

As he turns he feels a warm kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you. For everything,” she says.

He’s stunned for a moment but then his face flushes and he rubs his back with a touch of embarrassment. “Welcome… enough sentimental stuff, let’s get back.”


End file.
